Synopses & Reviews
‘Before the zoo opens each day a small army of keepers, vendors, and maintenance workers perform the daily tasks of cleaning and setting up. Then the crowds flock in. . . . The busy pictures are filled with details and action. The writing is crisp, clear, and informative. —SLJ.
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1987 (NSTA/CBC)
Synopsis
Before the zoo opens each day a small army of keepers, vendors, and maintenance workers perform the daily tasks of cleaning and setting up. Then the crowds flock in. . . . The busy pictures are filled with detailG: Paperback
Synopsis
A lively, behind-the-scenes look at just what it takes to keep a zoo running, perfect for sharing with the youngest zoo-goers.
The zoo is a very busy place From early in the morning until evening comes, a lot goes on to keep the animals safe and comfortable. There are kitchens where people prepare the special diets the animals need. And there are nurseries where zoo keepers raise baby animals until they are big enough to go to their exhibit areas.
Before the zoo opens each day a small army of keepers, vendors, and maintenance workers perform the daily tasks of cleaning and setting up. Then the crowds flock in The busy pictures are filled with details and action. The writing is crisp, clear, and informative. (School Library Journal)
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children (NSTA/CBC)
About the Author
Gail Gibbons, author of more than one hundred books, is the winner of the
Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for her overall contribution to childrens nonfiction literature. Called a "master of picture book nonfiction" by ALA
Booklist,Ms. Gibbons has a special talent for making complex subjects understandable and entertaining for young readers.
In Her Own Words...
"I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.
"Later, I went to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child d. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon.
"Since then, over seventy books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are nonfiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.
"Most of the time I live in Corinth, Vermont, in the middle of three hundred acres. I live with my husband, Kent Ancliffe, and our dog, Wilton. We also have three cats. My life in Vermont is very secluded. There are lots of wild animals that live on our property. We also spend a lot of time on an island off the coast of Maine where we have a little farmhouse. In fact, my book Christmas on an Island is about Christmas on this island.
"I have many hobbies, like swimming and boating, but my favorites are reading and creating books."